CNN's Jim Acosta rejects Jake Tapper's ban of 'election liars' on-air: 'They need to be interviewed'

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Media top headlines June 11

Jeffrey Toobin returning to CNN with an awkward interview, Vice President Harris snapping at anchor when she was pressed on visiting the border, and Glenn Greenwald tearing into Jim Acosta over Trump photo-op round out today’s top media headlines

There appears to be an ideological clash between CNN anchors Jim Acosta and Jake Tapper, who's been outspoken about his apparent ban of what he calls "election liars" on his programs. 

During an interview with Mediaite that was released on Thursday, Acosta was asked about Tapper's argument that he wouldn't invite pro-Trump GOP lawmakers who supported challenging the electoral results of President Biden's victory onto his CNN shows since they're "willing to lie" about the election. 

"Well, I do think there [is] some use in interviewing them because I think they have to be challenged on their viewpoints," Acosta began. "And, you know, we can't just get into a situation where, you know, the red team is on Fox and the blue team is on CNN and MSNBC or the other mainstream news outlets."

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Acosta, who this year became a weekend anchor after serving as CNN's chief White House correspondent during the Trump presidency, accused "Trumpists" of being "afraid" to come on his network. 

"I've tried, tried over and over again to get people like Ted Cruz, people like and Josh Hawley, people like, you know, all of these guys to come on with me because I think they need to be interviewed. I think they need to be questioned," Acosta explained. "Now, if they start going down the road of lying through their teeth over and over again, you know, maybe you stop the interview. Maybe you don't interview them after that. But I think we have to make the attempt to challenge these viewpoints."

He continued, "If somebody is going to go out there and claim that, you know, that Joe Biden didn't win the election and they're an elected member of Congress, I mean, I just think that's so insane that it has to be challenged." 

Jake Tapper was under fire last week for his inconsistencies when it comes to booking guests on his programs and is being accused of throwing his staff "under the bus."

The controversy began last month when he repeatedly suggested that he refuses to invite any GOP lawmaker who fed into what he and other liberals have dubbed the "Big Lie," which is the narrative that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from former President Trump. His blacklist apparently included all three leaders of the House Republican caucus and anyone who challenged Biden's victory. 

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However, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who Tapper suggested by name was banned from "The Lead" and "State of the Union," took to Twitter and revealed that the CNN star's staff had invited her onto his CNN programs just weeks prior as she was ascending to House leadership amid the ousting of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., as the GOP Conference Chair, sharing screenshots of email exchanges her office had. 

Tapper fired back at the congresswoman all while seeming to shift the blame on his bookers, one of whom promised Stefanik that she could chat with the CNN anchor by phone prior to committing.

"I can’t account for every email from my excellent bookers whose job it is to present me with as many options as possible," Tapper wrote. "I have just refused to allow any of the Liars, such as Rep Stefanik, on air. Kind of stunning to see her proudly identify as a conspiracy theorist."

Notably, Tapper appeared to cast doubt of the legitimacy of George W. Bush's 2000 presidential election victory with his book "Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency," which was panned at the time by CNN. 

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Critics slammed Tapper for not only throwing his staff "under the bus" but for also featuring various guests including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who infamously claimed he had seen "evidence" of Russian collusion that never surfaced, Michael Avenatti, the disgraced anti-Trump lawyer who touted a "gang rape" allegation against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation," and white nationalist Richard Spencer. 

However, no guest seems to undercut Tapper election integrity sanctimony than former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who has been invited onto his CNN programs numerous times despite never having conceded her 2018 defeat in Georgia. 

Acosta appears to be aligned with Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," who rejected the idea of banning any GOP lawmaker who opposed certifying President Biden's electoral victory and challenged the results of the 2020 election. 

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"I don’t think moral posturing goes well with news gathering," Wallace told Politico. "There are plenty of people I would like to have on ‘Fox News Sunday’ that voted to challenge the election — House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy for one. And I don’t have any rule about what the first question has to be. I have asked plenty of guests about voting to challenge the election and about Trump’s role in the January 6th insurrection. But I cover the news, wherever that takes me."